Aurora celebrating King's birthday with musical celebration

Aurora's Main Baptist Church will remember the life of Rev. Martin Luther King, Jr. during a free Sunday evening musical celebration.

The celebration begins at 7 p.m. at Main Baptist Church, 814 E. Galena Blvd., and will feature the 30-member Voices for Excellence choir.

The theme for this year is: "The Dream Reached, Yet Not Fulfilled; A Day On, Not a Day Off."

Clayton Muhammad, director of community affairs for East Aurora School District 131 and founder of the local Boys II Men mentoring program, will be the guest speaker.

Muhammad said he intends to base his remarks on Langston Hughes' poem, "What Happens to a Dream Deferred," and a poem that Muhammad wrote, "What Happens to a Dream Determined."

"(King) gave us such a foundation with his dream for our community and our country. I will make it very personal to right here in Aurora and speak about those who have turned those dreams into visions and those visions into victory," he said. "There will be a number of students in the audience whose stories of hope and healing are really inspirational. I will draw up on those stories to show the power of his dream."

Event founder Cynthia Miller first organized the celebration with two friends 23 years ago to inspire young people to learn about King and his life. Her friends have since moved out of Aurora but Miller said it's important to keep the program alive.

"There was no program in Aurora at that point," Miller said. "Having come from Alabama, I had a concern to help children understand how we received some of the things we might not have received if it hadn't been for Dr. King. And we want everyone to understand this is for all kids. We want to reach out and do something that schools might not have time to do."

And those with various religious affiliations need not worry about being outcast at function.

"This is a community function being held at a church," she added. "It is not a church function."

Miller said the Voices for Excellence is a "vibrant, energetic, musically prepared group of young people. Those who have not heard them are especially encouraged to attend."